The holidays are upon us which, for many, means more time with friends, family, and holiday parties galore. That also means time spent in the wine aisle (or on the Work Street Wines website!) deciding what bottle is best to bring to your party hosts.  

To help make all of our decisions a little easier - and to impress your loved ones - this week on the blog we’re tackling some common wine myths.

Higher price means better wine.

There are many factors that go into the pricing of a wine. These can include region, production size, vineyard selection, company goals, name recognition, glass, cork and transportation prices, etc. Not all of these components translate directly to wine quality. Shopping small and getting to know your producers are much better ways to find quality wines.

All wine is just fermented grape juice.

In addition to fermented grape juice, there are over 70 additives allowed in American wine production. Some of these ingredients include selected yeast, tartaric acid, egg whites, bentonite clay, powdered tannin, coloring, etc. Knowing what exactly went into your wine is tricky since ingredient lists are not required. If you’re interested in finding out, get to know your producers and retailers. Ask your wine merchant for low-intervention wines, or shop retailers who specialize in it.

Screw cap = crappy wine.

Don’t hate on screw caps! They are not synonymous with low quality wine. Annoyed by faulty corks, Australia and New Zealand actually turned to screw caps for better quality. The majority of bottles made there are topped with one. Other examples of delicious, high quality wines that open with a twist include this German Riesling and this Portuguese Vinho Verde.  

Sulfites are the reason for hangovers.

Sulfur dioxide is used as a preservative, but also occurs naturally in wine as a byproduct of fermentation. There are typically more sulfites in dried fruit, canned soup and prepackaged meat than in wine. The more likely reason for your hangover? Alcohol.